Monthly Archives: August 2016

In an effort to save money on a sod installation Calgary homeowners often decide to tackle the job themselves. A healthy lawn is the framework for a beautiful home, but it’s not as easy as it may first appear. Because of extremes in Calgary weather, problems abound that affect the look of lawns, such as bare spots, water pockets, soil erosion and other difficulties. The right sod installation gives a lawn a healthy start to defend against this type of weather abuse. Attempting a do-it-yourself approach may not be the best choice for a healthy lawn.

Where The Work Begins: Your Soil

Many Calgary homes have hard clay soil. The beginning soil where sod needs to be laid may contain rocks and numerous weed seeds, as well as an uneven surface. The soil will have to be graded and rototilled to break up existing weeds before any sod laying can begin. A starter fertilizer or loam may be put on the soil surface to give sod a better growing environment.

Homeowners who are only having a part of their lawn replaced with new sod may want to have their existing lawn analyzed first, so that the new sod will blend as seamlessly as possible in color and quality with the existing lawn.

The Laying Of The Sod

How the sod is laid is also important. Professionals usually lay sod in a staggered pattern, with seams joined tightly. This is so that seams will be less noticeable the first few weeks, and edges will have a natural, rough appearance.

If your landscape is set on a hill, any sod that is laid on the hill needs to be laid left to right, to avoid soil erosion. A sod roller will be used after placement to tamp down the roots and eliminate air pockets.

Watering should begin soon after sod is rolled. If sod is being installed all over the landscape, sod may be watered in one area while workers are laying it in another. Ground beneath the sod must be kept moist instead of allowing it to dry out. This is crucial for at least the first two weeks of growth.